After a long pause, Chen Qingzhi finally cupped his hands and said...
"I am unworthy of such praise from the Crown Prince..."
Li Zhu grinned. There's one truth that's remained unchanged throughout history: flattery will never fail you…
"Brother Chen is truly a dragon among men; he deserves such praise..."
Li Zhu spoke with such sincerity and earnestness!
"Doesn't the Crown Prince want to know who the woman beside me is?"
Yuwen Guo asked with a dark face, "The Crown Prince has been busy getting close to Chen Qingzhi and has completely ignored my daughter. This has hurt Yuwen Guo a lot, so he has no choice but to take the initiative to introduce his daughter to Li Zhu!"
"Prime Minister, Brother Chen is a pillar of the nation. How can we be troubled by external things when we associate with such a person? I feel that I have met Brother Chen too late. Why don't you stay and have a long talk with me today?"
After Li Zhu finished speaking, he felt like vomiting, but Chen Qingzhi was indeed a talented person. The Prime Minister had previously said that he would introduce a talented person to handle the affairs of Youzhou. Chen Qingzhi was brave and resourceful, and was definitely the best candidate!
However, such people are also arrogant and proud. If you can't win them over, why would they risk their lives for you? Even if they successfully seize military power in Youzhou, they might become a second Shi Jingtang and simply won't obey your orders!
"Thanks to the Crown Prince's appreciation, Qingzhi is willing to have a long talk with him..."
"Alright... Someone, bring some wine. I want to drink with Brother Chen all night long..."
Li Zhu was overjoyed. He had gained another talented person. Even if Li Zhu could not inherit the throne, he would still become the de facto ruler of the new Tang Dynasty. At that time, who would look down on Li Zhu?
"Your Highness, what kind of behavior is this?"
Yuwen Guo never expected things to develop this way. He had only introduced Chen Qingzhi to the Crown Prince, after all, such a talent should not be overlooked. Li Zhu had also shown enough respect and appreciation for talent. But in Yuwen Guo's eyes, all of this was just him coveting the woman's beauty!
"Prime Minister, Brother Chen is a man of great talent. You introduced such a pillar of the state to me because you wanted me to give him an important position. I feel that no one is more suitable for the trip to Youzhou than Brother Chen. However, the journey is fraught with difficulties and dangers. Brother Chen's chances of survival are slim. I hit it off with Brother Chen at first sight, and I really can't bear to see him suffer. Therefore, I have decided to send someone else to Youzhou. Why don't you stay in my residence as my advisor?"
Li Zhu's words were pointed, intended to demonstrate his appreciation for talent. Only if Chen Qingzhi took the initiative could he maximize his initiative...
“Your Highness, a true man born between heaven and earth, how can he live a life of ignominy? I, Chen Qingzhi, am not one to cling to life or fear death. I am willing to share Your Highness's burdens in Youzhou…”
Hearing Li Zhu's sarcastic words, Chen Qingzhi couldn't stand the provocation and immediately proposed to go to Youzhou!
“Brother Chen, you mustn’t! Youzhou is Shi Jingtang’s stronghold. Once they hear of Shi Jingtang’s death, they will definitely stage a mutiny. Such a dangerous situation is almost certainly a matter of life and death. I have only just met you, Brother Chen. How can I push you into a fire pit?”
Li Zhu pretended to appreciate talent and refused to let Chen Qingzhi go to Youzhou to take risks, because that would make it more convincing!
"Qingzhi, the Crown Prince is right. Youzhou will definitely become a place of chaos. This trip will be extremely dangerous. You should think it through before making a decision..."
Yuwen Guo said this simply to test Chen Qingzhi's resolve. After all, just as Li Zhu had said, this journey was fraught with danger, and he could easily lose his head at any moment!
"Your Highness, Prime Minister, I have made up my mind. A true man's ambition lies in the four corners of the world; how can I be content with a life of ease? This is the perfect opportunity for me to establish my merits. I'm going to Youzhou..."
Chen Qingzhi spoke with absolute certainty, his eyes showing not a trace of hesitation!
"Good, as expected of my brother Li Zhu. I will give you my utmost help on this trip, and the power of the outer marquisate will be fully utilized to assist you in taking over Youzhou..."
Li Zhu patted Chen Qingzhi on the shoulder. The two looked at each other and nodded. The meaning was clear: one expressed "I believe in you," and the other expressed "I will not let you down."
"Thank you very much, Your Highness. I will certainly serve you with utmost loyalty..."
Chen Qingzhi cupped his hands in a fist salute and said!
"Prime Minister, thank you for conveying our plan to Brother Chen, so that he can be mentally prepared..."
Li Zhu smiled and said to Yuwen Guo, "The other party is a seasoned veteran. Although this plan was his idea, it's just a framework. After Yuwen Guo refines it over the next two days, it will definitely achieve unexpected results..."
As expected, after Yuwen Guo's refinement, the plan became even more meticulous...
Even the details of how to utilize the power of the outer officials to coordinate with subsequent actions were meticulously planned…
They even mobilized the Liao people to incite widespread resentment in Youzhou, thus gaining an advantage in public opinion to help Chen Qingzhi take over Youzhou more quickly. They could even use the Liao to instigate a large-scale conflict and massacre disobedient generals on the battlefield…
Li Zhu couldn't help but secretly admire him; experience truly matters...
"Was this a plan devised by the Crown Prince?"
Chen Qingzhi stared at Yuwen Guo in shock, unsure if this was truly a method a human could come up with!
"Of course, otherwise why do you think I brought you to see His Highness the Crown Prince? Only someone like him is worthy of your assistance, Chen Qingzhi..."
Yuwen Guodu couldn't help but proudly raise his head, his meaning clear: he was telling Chen Qingzhi that he, the old man, had excellent judgment...
"Your Highness, Qingzhi is completely convinced and will henceforth follow Your Highness's lead without question..."
Chen Qingzhi knelt on one knee to show his loyalty, which was already a very high level of courtesy, but Chen Qingzhi did not hesitate to use such courtesy to express his respect for Li Zhu!
"Brother Chen, there's no need for such formalities. We're brothers now, so such a big greeting is too much!"
"Propriety cannot be disregarded. The Crown Prince and I can address each other as brothers, but there is a distinction between ruler and subject. The ruler may disregard this, but the subject must always be mindful of etiquette..."
Chen Qingzhi insisted!
"Brother Chen is so tactful and knows when to advance and retreat; I truly don't know how to repay your sincere kindness..."
"Your Highness, there's no need for this. It is I who should repay your kindness and recognition..."
"Come, Brother Chen, let's drink this cup together..."
"Dry!"
The two downed several glasses of wine before finally putting them down and sitting down. They seemed to have a deep mutual respect, leaving Yuwen Guo unsure whether to feel gratified or sigh...
"I've heard that Your Highness is quite skilled in poetry. I wonder if I might have the honor of obtaining one of Your Highness's masterpieces?"
Upon hearing Chen Qingzhi's words, Li Zhu was stunned for a moment. Without a doubt, this was Yuwen Guo's idea. In the current atmosphere, how could he possibly refuse?
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